Portable railway-signal.



A. L. CURHIE.

PORTABLE RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPI-.2L 191B. 1,301,914., Patented Apr. 29,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

AA L. CURHIE.

PORTABLE RALLWAY SIGNAL.

m APPLICATION FLED SEPT. 21| 1918. l LQQ Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Y w /QVMW f@ .ALEXANDER`LAWRENCE CURRIE, OF SOREL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

PORTABLE RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

neonata..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29?, 1919.

AppIieation led September 21, 1918. Serial No. 255,122.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LAWRENCE Comun, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and resident of the village of Sorel, in the Province ofQuebec, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Portable Railway-Signals, of which the following is aspecication.

This invention relates to improvements in portable railway signals ofthat type adapted to be utilized by section gangs when Working on andrepairing a railway track, and the objects of the invention are tofacilitate positioning the flag with such a degree of security, thatthere is no possibility of the Hag becoming displaced, due either towind, rain or snow storms, or jarring, or vibration of the track, or toany other causes met with in railway practice, to provide means wherebythe flag carried by the signal can be readily adjusted, and to renderthe signal collapsible and permit of it being folded into a compactbundle for carrying.

Further objects are to permit of a fabric or like flag being used, oneportion of which will always be maintained with its face exposed to theview of the engineer of an approaching train, while at the same timelateral wings are provided which will flutter in the breeze and assistin' attracting the engineers attention, to simplify the const ruction pfthe signal, and render thesame fool roo p With the above and otherobjects in View the invention consists essentially of the improvedconstruction particularly described and set forth in the followingspecification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same. Y

In the drawings: Figure 1 is -a front elevation on one fo of theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the improved signal showingan alternative means of positioning the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the signal showing anothermethod of securing the same in position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of the rail showing a Wedgemeans illustrated in Fig. 3 for securing the signal to the lower iiangeof a rail.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a signal.

showing an alternative means of securing the same to a fish plate.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the looking plate designed to secure therod andtubular member of the signal in operative position.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the frame of the Hag on which the fabricflag is designed to be mounted.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the fabric flag.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the metallic flag shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 10 is a side view of an alternative form of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the form shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of an alternative form of the invention.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several gures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the improved signal whichcomprises a rod 10 pivotally' secured to the upwardly extending ofi'setarm or portion of the tube 11 which arm is split open to permit of therod being rotated about its pivotal point and lie along the longerportion or arm of the tubular member when the flag is being carried fromplace to place.

The tubular member 11 has the upper end of its shorter arm cut away asshown at 12 and a locking plate or washer 18 is provided which slida-blyengages with the rod 10 and cut away portion 12 to secure the said rodand tubular member 11 in open serviceable position.

The locking plate 13 may be secured to the tubular rod by a chain 14 orother like member.`

The upper end 15 of the rod 10 is flattened and oifset and in theembodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 8 ametajllic flag 16 is providedwhich is formed with U-shaped brackets 17 on the back thereof designedto slidably engage with the offset end 15 and so secure the flag inposition.

This iag -may be provided with orifices 18 on opposite sides when suchis found necessary and convenient in railroad practice.

The longer arm of the tubular member 1l carries a rod 19 which issecured in position by rivets orvthe like, and this rod. .is pro.-

vided with orilices through which screws 20 pass to secure the signal Ato the tie B of the railway bed.

In Fig. 2 a modification of the rod 19a is shown, and ,in this case therod is provided with a bifurcated end 21, which embraces one portion ofthe lower flange of a rail and a set screw 22 is threaded through onearmot' the bifurcated end to frictionally engage with the lower flange ofthe rail and so secure the signal Ain position.`

In Fig. 3 another form of rod 19b is provided in which the endsterminate in a pair of jaws 23 adapted to embrace the lower flange of arail, and a key 24 is driven between one jaw and the said flange tofrictionally hold the signal A in position.

This key 24 is secured to the rod 19b by a chain or like -member 25, sothat the key will not become lost or displaced.

In Fig. 5 the rod 19c is provided with an offset end 26 which isdesigned to abut and lie along the upper face of the lower flange of arail and at one side thereof, and then to abut or engage with the web ofthe rail, the end of the rod then being bent to be inserted between theweb of the rail and fish plate 27, in which position it is retained by aset screw 28 passingthrough the said fish plate.

Under some circumstances it may be found advisable to use a fabric flaginstead of a metallic plate, and to this end I provide a skeleton frame29 of substantially U-shape provided with a transverse arm 30intermediate of the height of the side arms, and this arm andthe lowertransverse member of the frame' are provided with orifices through whichthe upper offset flattened end 15 of the rod 10 passes.

The upper ends of the side arms of the U-shaped frame 29 are bentinwardly as shown at 31, and these side arms are adapted to engage withhems 32 on the side of the fabric flag 33, so that the body of the flag33 will be held with the face exposed to the engineer of an approachingtrain.

To prevent any tendency to displacement of the flag 33 an eyelet 34 isprovided which engages with the flattened end 15 of the `rod 10 and islocated between the lower transverse arm of the U-shaped frame 29 andthetransverse arm 30.

`In this position it will be seen that the flag 33 cannot work loose andcan only be removed from the frame after the 'said frame has beenremoved or disengaged from the rod 10.

The flag 33 is provided with lateral wings 35 which will trail orflutter in the wind, and so tend t0 provide an eXtra attraction to theengineer of an approaching train.4

VV-hen the signal is in use it is attached to the tie B of the rail bedas shown in' Fig. 1, or to the lower flange of the rail as shown inFigs. 2 to 5, whereupon the rod l0 is rotated about its pivotal pointuntil it assumes the position as shown in Fig. 1 in which it is lockedby the plate 13.

The metallic flag '16 may .then be positioned on the rod 10 and thesignal is in condition for use.

If the fabric flag is being used, it is positioned on the frame 29 withthe side arms of the said frame engaged with the hem 32 `on `the edge ofthe flag, and the eyelet 34 engages with the flattened end 15 ofthe rod10 and is .located between the lower transverse arm and thearm 30 of theframe 39, the flag is now in condition foruse.

At night time a lamp will be used in conjunction with the flag 16 or 33,and will be hung by any convenient means. For instance when the flag 33is used, the lamp maybe hung or suspended from the flattened end 15 ofthe rod 10.

In the alternative form shown in Figs. 10 and l1 a fabric flag 40 issupported on cross bars 41 and 42 which are mounted on a flattened end15 of the rod 10, the cross bars 41 and 42extend along top and bottomvrespectively of the flag.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 12a torpedo 50 is `providedadjusted to the track adapted to be exploded 'by a plunger 51 Aengagedby a wheel 52 of the locomotive or car.

The plunger operates in a cylinder 53 and strikes the torpedo therein.Where an automatic train `stop device is to be used, a ramp or bracket60 may be provided as shown in Fig. 1, bolted `to the member 19. Y

As many changes 4could be made in the above `construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of -my inven-V tion within thescope ofthe-claims constructed without departing from the spirit orscope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained'in theaccompanying specilication and drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lVhat I claim as 4my invention is:

1. A portable signal comprising a tubular rod `offset intermediate ofits length, a rod rotatably :mounted on the shorter arm of the tubularrod, a rod rigidly attached to the longer arm of the tubular rod,attaching means connected to the last said rod, a flag carried by thefirst said rod, and lateral wings on the flag. j

2. A portable .signal comprising an offset tubular rod, a rod rotatablyattached to the tubular rod having its upper end offset, a movable flagon the yoffset end of the rod, a rod rigidly attached to the tubular rod.and terminating in jaws adapted to embrace the lower flange of `therail, and key means engaging with the said flange and one of :the

jaws. Y

3. In a portable signal a skeleton frame 'cf substantially U-shape, atransversely extending member connecting the side arms intermediate ofthe height thereof, a flag engaging with the arm, and lateral wings onthe flag.

4C. In a portable signal a `Ushaped frame having side arms terminatingin inwardly oil'set ends, a fabric Hag having hems on the side edgesadapted to engage with the side members of the frame, and wings on theflag.

5. A railway signal of the class described comprising a base member,said base member including a tubular member odset intermediate of'itslength and having its upper arm open toward the inner side, and a Hagcarrying member rotatably mounted in the open end of the tubular member.

6. A railway signal of the class described comprising a base havingsuitable attaching means, a tubular member co-acting with the base andoffset intermediate of its length, the upper end of the tubular memberbeing oilset and reduced toward the upper end to form a shoulder, a flagcarrying member rotatably mounted to the open upper arm of the tubularmember, a ring slidably mounted on the flag carrying member adapted toco-act with the shoulder and secure the flag carrying member in upwardangular position.

7 A railway signal of the class described, comprising a base, a tubularmember coacting with the base offset intermediate of its length andhaving its upper arm open Copies of this patent may be obtained for vecents each, by addressing the toward the inner side, a flag carryingmember rotatably mounted to the open upper arm of the tubular member, atongue on the tubular member, a ring slidably mounted on the flagcarrying member adapted to be slid over the tongue and below the sameand lrotated to lock the flag carrying member in an upright angularposition.

8. A railway signal of the class described comprising a base, a flagcarrying member rotatably connected to the base and a wire frame ofsubstantially U-shape having its parallel arms terminating in ball endsand provided with an offset portion intermediate of its transverse armadapted to be secured to the flag carrying member, as and for thepurpose specified.

9. A railway signal having a flag supporting member a pair of barsmounted on the supporting member in parallel relation and a flag engagedby the said bars, and provided with side wings as and for the purposespecified.

l0. In a portable signal, an arm, a signal on the arm, and means forattaching the arm to the rail comprising a member adapted to be insertedbetween the web of the rail and the angle iron, and means for retainingsuch member in position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALEXANDER LAWRENCE GURRIE.

Witnesses:

A. D. NARSEUX, L. G. LANDIsoN.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. E.

